Hasina warns manpower recruitment agents against cheating poor job seekers
Dhaka, Aug 26 (UNB) - Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has blamed a section of the manpower recruiting agencies for the miserable condition of the expatriate workers abroad.
She asked the recruiting agencies to take into consideration of the human aspect above profit earning while sending workers abroad with employment.
“Some of you take the path of fraudulence and forgery in sending workers abroad. For the sake of Almighty Allah, please stop such activities,” the Prime Minister told the manpower agents when the
newly elected executive committee of Bangladesh Association of International Recruiting Agencies (BAIRA) called on her at her office today. BAIRA president ABul Bashar led the delegation.
PM’s press secretary Abul Kalam Azad briefed the meeting to reporters who were not allowed in.
Sheikh Hasina advised the BAIRA leaders to increase the funds by their own initiatives so that they can utilize the money for better purposes. Manpower recruiting agencies must take into consideration human aspect of the family and men who they send abroad with employment. They must not be cheated. “Cheating or forgery will not be tolerated,” warned the Prime Minister. “Do business with integrity and sincerity.”
She also asked the BAIRA leaders to find out the expatriates jailed in foreign countries and take effective steps to bring them back home.
About manpower export, the Prime Minister asked BAIRA to look for new markets including in African countries.
She said during her last tenure in office effective steps were taken to encourage the expatriate workers in sending money through proper channel instead of Hundi. Because of the measures, the remittance rose to US$ 10 billion.
Regarding the working visa problems in Malaysia, Hasina said the same problem was faced during her last tenure of office. Her government had requested the then President of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohammad who had provided working visa to 1.5 lakh illegal workers.
“This time we are working hard to get more and more working visa for our expatriate workers and we are optimistic that we will be able to do so like the previous time,” she said.
She also informed the BAIRA leaders that her government is in negotiation with the Malaysian government regarding the release of Bangladeshi workers who are in jail there.
The BAIRA leaders appraised their problems to the Prime Minister. She assured them of removing the genuine problems.
